In wireless communication represented by a wireless LAN complying with the IEEE802.11 standard series, there are many setting items to be set in advance.
The setting items include communication parameters necessary for wireless communication, such as an SSID (Service Set IDentifier) as a network identifier, an encryption method, an encryption key, an authentication method, and an authentication key. It is very troublesome for a user to set them by manual input.
Various manufacturers have proposed automatic setting schemes for easily setting communication parameters in a wireless apparatus. In those automatic setting schemes, one apparatus provides another apparatus with communication parameters using a procedure predetermined between these connected apparatuses and a message, thereby automatically setting the communication parameters.
The WPS (Wi-Fi CERTIFIED(TM) for Wi-Fi Protected Setup: Easing the User Experience for Home and Small Office Wi-Fi(R) Networks, http://www.wi-fi.org/wp/wifi-protected-setup) standard has disclosed a communication parameter automatic setting scheme.
Communication parameter automatic setting schemes include a scheme (to be referred to as an authentication code scheme hereinafter) in which the user inputs an authentication code to an apparatus, and a scheme (to be referred to as a non-authentication code scheme hereinafter) in which the user does not input an authentication code.
In the authentication code scheme, apparatuses share an authentication code, and execute authentication processing between them. When the authentication processing between two apparatuses succeeds, these apparatuses perform setting processing. In this case, the authentication processing allows the apparatuses to securely transfer communication parameters.
In the non-authentication code scheme, upon detecting a terminal which has started communication parameter automatic setting, communication parameters are automatically provided to the terminal. As an example of the non-authentication code scheme, there is a scheme of starting setting processing by pressing the setting start button of an apparatus, and executing, during the setting processing, automatic setting with another apparatus which has started setting processing in the same manner. Since an unintended apparatus may be provided with communication parameters in the non-authentication code scheme, the security level of this scheme is lower than that of the authentication code scheme. However, the user need not input an authentication code, thus simplifying the operation.
As described above, in the authentication code scheme, it is possible to transfer communication parameters more securely than in the non-authentication code scheme. It is therefore desirable to be able to provide different communication parameters in accordance with a communication parameter automatic setting scheme to be used.
Conventional communication parameter automatic setting schemes, however, has no mechanism for automatically providing different communication parameters in accordance with a setting scheme.
Therefore, when communication parameters are to be selectively provided in conventional communication parameter automatic setting, the user needs to manually select communication parameters to be provided every time, thereby impairing convenience.